MEDIA CONFERENCE

CPO MELBOURNE

SENATOR McKENZIE

SENATOR RUSTON

29 JANUARY 2023

It is fantastic to be here in Melbourne today. Once again, Australia is showcasing what we do so, so well and that's international sporting events here with the Australian Open, currently underway. Last night we saw a fantastic game in the women's finals. But most particularly we saw our boys bring home the doubles finals. So, congratulations to Australia for that.

But we know that all great sporting events are only able to be as great as they are because of the amazing infrastructure that sits behind them. And one of the agreements that we had in place in relation to the Olympic Games in 2032 together with the Queensland Government was that the Federal Government would put in a commitment of a 50-50 funding agreement on the basis that there would be an establishment of a Joint Oversight Committee to make sure that Australian taxpayers money was spent efficiently and effectively in the delivery of what we would want to be one of the greatest (Olympic) Games ever put on in the world.

Last night, millions of young Australians were absolutely inspired to get out on their local tennis court as a result of Rinky and Jason's championship win. We here in Australia are known around the world for the way we host international events. It's why we won the bid for the Olympics in Brisbane in 2032. Part of that requires us to deliver key and critical infrastructure on time and on budget.

The stakeholders that we've been talking to are very concerned that the long timelines that they were given are at risk of being overrun. That is less than eight years to go till the Olympics. And there needs to be critical infrastructure, not just in terms of stadium and events - places for people to compete in - but critical connectivity infrastructure such as road and rail pieces to allow the hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Sunshine Coast, to Brisbane and to Queensland more generally.

To be able to visit the Olympic events to be able to absolutely participate in what we hope will be a great international sporting showcase - that is all at risk as the result of the Federal Government not actually setting up the infrastructure oversight body. That was part of the 50-50 agreement between the former Federal Government and the Palaszczuk Government, rather than putting the go slow on, sitting down with the Queensland Government, getting the plan together on what will be the roadmap to getting critical infrastructure for the Olympic Games in place.

We are very concerned that those connectivity pieces, which have long lead times and we know that our infrastructure funding is tight, that if we do not get those plants in place now, if we do not get the tenders out, that we will be at risk of a Rio-like scenario with infrastructure being undercooked and our reputation as an international sporting powerhouse and event host will be on the line.

One of the issues we've been very concerned about is the Palaszczuk Government concocting an under the table deal, shall we say, with the Federal Albanese Government when it comes to the redevelopment of the Gabba, the Gabba redevelopment as a stadia wasn't part of the original host bid for the Olympics, and yet we see there seems to be an attempt by the Queensland Government to get the Federal Government to fund this particular redevelopment. We are calling on the Anthony Albanese Government to put some transparency and accountability measures in place for the spending of billions of dollars of taxpayers’ money as we head towards hosting the Olympics.

One of the great reasons Melbourne is the sporting capital of Australia is because last night you could exit Rod Laver Arena and within less than a minute and be on a train that's going get you home. And it's that level of connectivity, which makes great international sporting events so important. And they're the pieces of critical infrastructure that we've been hearing from stakeholders. They're very concerned, that they are not being put forward, they're not being funded, the plans aren't being developed, the tenders aren't out, and we're at risk of overruns, cost delays and potentially not getting that critical infrastructure in place.

JOURNALIST

Just quickly on the Gabba there, do you think the Government should a agree to a 50-50 funding deal on the Gabba? And just secondly, should the rest of the Olympic 50-50 funding deal be put on hold until this independent body is established? As you suggested?

SENATOR McKENZIE

We've been calling for the Independent Funding Authority to be set up to give oversight and accountability to the 50-50 funding arrangement for the building of the critical infrastructure for the 2032 Olympics. For a long time, we were going to be setting that up, had we won the election in May. Our concern has been that the Federal Government has just gone go slow in winning the May election when it comes to getting the infrastructure ready for the Olympics.

They have not engaged appropriately. They have not set up the appropriate oversight bodies so that taxpayers can have confidence that their money is being spent efficiently and effectively by both state and commonwealth entities when it comes to building this critical infrastructure. When it comes to the Gabba, the redevelopment wasn't part of the original host agreement as we know now that is subject to discussions between the Palaszczuk Government and the Federal Government.

Our concern is the oversight on the funding. And when we talk to international stakeholders, they're less concerned about the stadia being redeveloped and much more concerned about the great experience that spectators are going to have when they come from all corners of the globe to the Olympics. So it's that connectivity of major arterial roads, of rail projects and tram projects, et cetera, that are going to mean the Brisbane Olympics will be a fantastic international sporting experience.

But those types of projects take a long time to actually be completed. And the fact that the Federal Government hasn't sat down and got these plans in place and the tenders out, is very, very concerning to those international stakeholders who are looking forward to Brisbane 2032 being what should be a typical Australian excellent international event.

JOURNALIST

Reports today suggest that some doctors are charging patients out-of-pocket expenses. What needs to be done to lift the bulk billing rate?

SENATOR RUSTON

Well, I think the first thing we need to do is to actually address the main crisis that's currently before us, and that is workforce shortages. We've seen a lot of talk about what the problems are from this government since they came into government in May. They came in on a platform of strengthening Medicare and we've seen nothing but a weakening of Medicare. But the fundamental challenge before the Australian medical sector at the moment is workforce. And we have seen absolutely nothing about addressing workforce challenges. So I think the most important thing is, first and foremost, let's work out how we can get more people, more young medical graduates to decide that they want to take up general practice as their specialty.

We also need to be incentivizing overseas graduates to come to Australia. We need to incentivize them to go to rural and regional Australia because some of the measures that have been put in place by this government actually are disincentives and we've seen doctors moving from rural, regional and remote Australia into the cities. But the fundamental underlying challenge is workforce, but we also need to make sure that we're putting things in place so that becoming a GP after you've done your medical graduate degree is an exciting, interesting, and enticing thing for Australian young medical graduates to undertake.

Right now that's not the case.

JOURNALIST

A quick one on another matter for Senator Mackenzie. If you don't mind just on The Voice. I just want to put to you a claim that David Little made on Sky this morning. He said that Andrew Gee didn’t quit the National Party just over his opposition or rather his support for The Voice, but in fact there were a range of other personality clashes that he says couldn’t be overcome, and that there were issues with other things that were unrelated to The Voice. Are you aware of those? The impression was that it was just The Voice?

SENATOR McKENZIE

I took Andrew Gee’s comments and public commentary around why he has chosen to leave the National Party at face value. He said that his decision was around the Party’s decision on The Voice. I haven't spoken to Andrew, so I can't comment on any other claims about why he left the National Party or not. We in the National Party, I feel, have been vindicated in our decision early to say no to The Voice, as the political party that represents rural and regional Australians and the majority of indigenous Australians are in our electorates out in the regions.

We have been focused on their wellbeing and betterment, and we haven't felt The Voice will actually deliver on any of that. And I think when you've seen what's been happening in Alice Springs, not just over the last week, I mean I was there before Christmas, it's been occurring over the last six months. It has culminated in a tragedy and a catastrophe before our very eyes. The Voice will not address that and anyone who says it will is kidding themselves.

Anthony Albanese has spent more time in Melbourne at the Australian Open watching international tennis stars than he has on the ground in Alice Springs dealing with the most catastrophic of human tragedies that's unfolding before our very eyes.

JOURNALIST

Just a quick one for either, either of you. It's a little bit outside the policy space. Reports this morning the Government who sent force streaming giants like Netflix to spend up to 20 per cent of their revenue on creating local content. What do you make of idea, do you think that this is something the Opposition would be inclined to support?

SENATOR McKENZIE

Well, that would put us in line with the EU policies around local content with streaming giants. We don't want to see international streaming giants actually, denuding Australians of local content. And I think Australian actors, producers, and screenwriters have actually delivered fantastic iconic product that the world has loved to see. So I think it's a good thing.

SENATOR RUSTON

The only thing that I'd add to what Bridget's just said is that, that it's all well and good to come out and make comments about Australian content. And I know just about every Australian would support Australian content because we love to see ourselves on the tv, but we need to know how you're going to be able to deliver this commitment to the Australian public. How are they go about this? How is the Government going to go about actually make these, streaming giants deliver this content. We can't just have more thought bubbles, more announcements. We actually need to see the detail of delivery because if you can't deliver it, there's no point in announcing.

SENATOR McKENZIE

Thanks guys. I've just got one more thing.

I guess n the excitement of the finals, I was slightly bemused and extremely concerned upon reading our Treasurer's commentary yesterday.

This week, families are facing increased cost of living pressures in sending kids back to school, uniforms, books, school fees, all back on the table in conjunction with increasing energy prices, mortgage increases potentially on the table again, and food inflation topping 10% in our own country.

Now, instead of spending the summer focused on real and practical measures to help Australians deal with the cost-of-living crisis, our Treasurer instead has actually been searching, writing, thinking, theorizing about how he can structurally rearrange our economy and hopefully win the Nobel Prize for economics.

I mean, Australians deserve better from a government that was elected on cost-of-living pressures.

We've had eight months at this, and it's been an absolute failure by the Treasurer on what he's delivered, a treatise on how to change our economic system instead of real, tangible outcomes to help Australian families who are under extreme pressure at the moment.

Thank you.

ENDS